Delicious Varieties Of Blueberries That Will Thrive In Your Garden

Most people have a designated goal in mind when designing their landscaping or garden space. Some invest in flowering trees and garden beds to boost their home's curb appeal, making it more pleasant to look at from the street. Others might want to attract pollinators like butterflies and bees to their yard, while still others may desire to grow certain plants to cut down on their grocery bills. If you want to experience all of these benefits — an aesthetic boost, more pollinators, and edible produce — by just adding one plant, consider including a blueberry bush on your property. 

Not only do gorgeous blueberry bush flowers provide plenty of food for important pollinators while the berries provide food for us, but these plants are also relatively easy to grow. They don't require pesticides to survive, don't need overly-fertile soil to thrive, and some are self-pollinating. Even better, there are a ton of different varieties and cultivars you can try experimenting with, allowing you to choose one that best fits your needs and wants. Here are five popular types to consider planting in your yard.

If you're looking for a blueberry plant that will provide large, juicy berries, look no further than the Highbush 'Chandler' bush (Vaccinium corymbosum 'Chandler'). This creates some of the biggest berries you can grow, making them perfect for a quick snack or a fresh addition to your breakfast or a sweet dessert dish. These plants bear fruit for four to six weeks, so you will have plenty of time to get your fill. They can also be a nice addition to your landscaping design since the bushes can grow to a height of 6 feet.

Just like with the 'Bluecrop' blueberry plant, this particular variety is best planted in hardiness zones 4 to 7. It likes full sun, loamy soil, and dirt with a pH level between 4.5 to 5.5. If you meet all of those conditions, it will take about one year for the first berries to bloom, and they will drop around July. Once they do, you will have sweet, extra-large berries to eat by the handful. This is also a great pick for beginner gardeners because it's self-pollinating, so you don't have to stress about attracting bees to your garden or planting another blueberry bush for cross-pollination purposes.

If you're looking to cultivate blueberries in a warmer region, then you can't go wrong with the Rabbiteye variety (Vaccinium virgatum/ashei). It grows wild in hot and humid states like Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, so you know it can stand up to high temperatures. It's also a drought-resistant plant thanks to its shallow roots, so you don't have to fret if you get dry spells. There are various types of rabbiteye, allowing you to get even more specific depending on your needs. For example, the 'Baldwin' type blooms mid- to late-season, whereas 'Brightwell' ripens in early- to mid-season.

This variety likes soil with pH that's between 4.5 and 5.8, and the more acidic, the better. They love full sun but can thrive in partial shade, and they're great for beginner gardeners because they can grow in dirt that isn't extra-nutritious. However, these aren't self-pollinating and will need to be cross-pollinated in order to flower. In addition, they have their own special pollinators — you can't depend on honeybees to pollinate them, as they're not very efficient. Instead, you will need either the carpenter or blueberry bee to make trips to your yard.